Voice of the DBA

Category: Blog

  • Daily Coping 25 Nov 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to pick a moment of joy from this year and give thanks for it.

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    The picture doesn’t show much, but this was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable afternoons of the year. My wife and I were in Belgium, no commitments or responsibilities. We stopped in the Grand Place in Brussels after walking around the city a bit. We sat, watching people in the afternoon, listening to the University graduation ceremonies taking place, enjoying the time with each other, and tasting the wonderful beer. My wife loved a Cherry Sour and I had a darker brew, but it was vacation, contentment, and joy for me.

    I am thankful that my life is so wonderful on a regular basis, and this was one of those moments that I am very grateful for having.

  • Unexpected Speaker Gifts

    I got two packages this week, both unexpected. They were nice surprises.

    First, a huge thanks to the Cloud Summit and Stephen Simon for running a great event and for allowing me to speak. This was quite an event, across many days with lots of sessions. I opened a package and found these items:

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    A nice commemorative trophy for my desk, a shirt, a few stickers, and a neat spinner keychain. I also got a charging cord with a key ring that has UCB A, C, and micro B. Quite handy to keep these around, as I always find a time or place I’m missing one.

    A second package came from a corporate conference I was involved in. A beautiful overnight bag, an erasable notebook, and a keyring with a BT tracker.

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    I’m honored and pleased when I get chosen to speak. I don’t expect gifts, but I’m always happy when someone goes to the effort to send something.

  • Daily Coping 24 Nov 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to make a meal using a recipe or ingredient you’ve not tried before.

    I like cooking, so this is easy for me. I will flip through recipes from a few mailing lists and look for something interesting. I ran across this list of 60 Easy Dinner ideas awhile ago, and I’ve been working through some of them. Not all, but some.

    I decided to do this one: Coconut Curry Ramen.  We like Ramen, and this was fairly simple. A quick cook in the pot and it was ready. I did do a few soft boiled eggs first.

    It was a fun, easy dinner, and one that the family enjoyed. I’ll add this to me permanent list of recipes to repeat.

  • Daily Coping 23 Nov 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to broaden your perspective: read something different.

    I tend to read a lot of fiction. If I flip through this year’s GoodReads, I see mostly books to help me escape. I tend to alternate between sci-fi, legal, mysteries, and thrillers. I sprinkle in a few coaching books and business books.

    One that I found different was Thanks for the Feedback. I’m in the middle of it now, and I didn’t really want to read it. A friend recommended it, as something that helped them grow. I don’t like reviews, but I decided this would be good for me.

    I found the book to be very interesting. It helped me to think about how I communicate with others, and how I might say something that is received differently. It also helps me think about how to react when someone gives me feedback.

    Quite a different read, but I’ve found it fascinating for me.